Method of making alpha flexible connection



May 89 w34, y F. l.. HAUSHALTER 1,958,141

METHO OF MAKING A FLEXIBLE CONNECTION n `Original Filed Sept. 23, 1931Patented May 8, 1934 `METHOD or MAKING A FLEinBLE CONNECTION Fred lHaushalter, Akron, Ohio, assigner to The B. F. Goodrich Company,NewYork, N. Y.,

a corporation of New York original application September 23, 1931,Serial No. 564,560. Divided and this application Janual'y 3, 1933,Serial No. 649,776

9- Claims.

.This invention relates to the manufacture of exible connections.'especially torsion bearings in which the torsionally resistant elementcomprises a body of vulcanized rubber or similar rea silient materialsecured between rigid members. This is a division of my applicationSerial No. 564,500, iled September 23, 51331.

lThe principal objects ofthe invention are to provide a bearing in whichthe torsional resisti ance may be predetermined, to provide a method bywhich such a structure may be readily produced, and to provide a methodby which bearings having diiferent resistances to torsion may beproduced by means of a single apparatus.

Other objects will appear from the following description.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the bearing land itsshaft before being subjected to stress.

in making the bearing, parts being broken away to show the constructionmore clearly. 1 Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional viewof the completemold with a finished bearing and shaft therein, taken on line 3 3 ofliigz 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, showingonly the lower mold half. Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly incross-section, showing the torsional bearing as appliedto a leaf 3Qspring, part of the spring being broken away.

' Referring to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a Ashaclt of rigidmaterial, preferably metal, the numeral 11 designates a body ofresilient material such as vulcanized .rubber surrounding the shaft andpreferably bonded thereto as by vulcanization, and the numeral 12designates a rigid member surrounding substantially one half of theresilient member, there being two such rigid members 12 spaced from eachother as at 13. The members 12 are preferably vulcanized or otherwisebonded to theresilient member. The resilient member 11 is formed bymolding a plastic compound to fill the space between the members 12 andthe shaft 10 when the members 12 are spacedy equally distant from theshaft by an amount greater than will obtain when the device is in` useand substantial grooves 14 are formed in the V.resilient membercommunicating with the spaces 13 betweexrthe rigid shell mem-,

y resilient member l1 is placed under apredeter- Fig. 2 isia perspectiveview of a mold-half usedmined stress caused by 'flow of the resilientmaterial and regulated by the space 13. In the vmovement of the shells12 toward each other the grooves 14 provide space for the flow of theresilient material, which is only slightly compressible. I

Means such as the eye 15 formed in the spring lleaf 16 is provided forholding the shells 12 in proper relation. Where such means are rigid asshown in Fig. 5 the shells 12 may be forced to- 66 ward each other' bytemporary clamping means and the device pressed into the permanentholding means. When the device is to be inserted in a separable pillowblock or similar device the means, such as studs, ordinarily used forholding the cap of the pillow block may be used to force the shells 12into proper relation.

Where a high degree of distortion of the rubber is provided for to holdthe bushing in its mounting, the bonding of the rubber to the rigidmember may be dispensed with,.the friction of the rubber on the rigidsurfaces being depended on to prevent slipping'of the parts on eachother. It is preferred to provide vulcanized adhesion of the rubber atleast to the shaft member because of its comparatively smallrubber-contacting area.

In the production of the device a moldcomprising two main .portions 17and 18 having cavities V19 of the desired shape is provided. Removablegroove-forming spacing strips 20 are pro- 35 vided to hold the shellmembers 12 in proper relation, to mold the grooves 14, and to regulatethe spacing of the shell members with relation to the shaft. Byproviding sets of spacing strips 20 of=,v different thicknesses,bearings adapted to, be '90 vplaced underdiiferent initial stresses maybeproduced from the same mold. l l

1n order to close the space between the mold members 17 and 18 at theends of the mold, said mold member 17' is formed with dove-tailed 95notches 21 and Yremovable blocks 22, having corresponding dovetails andof sufficient height to bring their upper faces level with the spacers20, arev providedl These blocks have 'semi-circular f flanges r23 whicht the mold :cavity and serve to 100 retain the blocks 22 against outwardmovement under molding pressure. They are-also provided withucavities 24to flt the shaft of the article to bev molded. i

The spacer plates 2o are' providd with dowels 105 cording to the4invention the desired initial stress 110 to be placed on the resilientmember is rst'determined and the desired spacing of the shell members 12and the desired grooving of the resilientl member 11 is determinedtherefrom. Spacing plates 20 and mold blocks 22 are then selected togive the desired spacing and groove conformation. The shell halves 12are also placed in the mold when bonding of the resilient member theretois desired. A quantity of the plastic material for forming the resilientmember is assembled inthe mold with the shaft to be molded therein andthe mold is closed under pressure and vulcanization of the plasticaccomplished by the application of heat.

After vulcanization the bearing is removed from the mold and aftercooling from the temperature of vulcanization, during which the adhesionof the plastic material to the shaft and sleeve members is not weakenedby the shrinkage of the material due to the fact that the sleeve memberscan yield toward the shaft, the bearing is ready for use. The resilientmember is placed under initial stress in placing the bearing ashereinbefore described.

I claim: c

1. The method of making a torsional bearing, said method comprisingarranging a pair of bushing members in eccentricrelation to a shaft,molding a vulcanizable plastic material therebetween to form avulcanized torslon member, normally holding the bushing members in suchrelation, and placing the vulcanized torsion member so formed undercompression by applying pressure to hold said bushing-members insubstantially concentric relation to said shaft.

2. The method of making a torsional bearing, said method comprisingmolding a vulcanizable plastic material between a shaft and a pair ofseparate and spaced apart bushing members surrounding theV same to forma torsionally distortable vulcanized member, and thereafter distortingsaid vulcanized member by pressure appliedl radially to said bushingmembers. .y

3. The method of making a torsional bearing,L said method comprisingassembling between mold members a shaft, a pair of rigid bushingmembers, and a quantity of vulcanizable plastic material', introducingspacing members between said mold members to hold said bushing membersfarther away from the shaft than when in operative position in thecompleted device and to form clearance grooves in the plastic material,vulcanizing the plastic material while so confined,

and so applying pressure to the bushing memy bers as to move them totheir operative positions and cause circumferential displacement of thevulcanized plastic material.` Y'

4. The method of making a torsional bearing having a rigid shaft, atorsionally distortable member surrounding a portion thereof and a pairof separate semicylindrical bushing members enclosing the distortablemember, which method comprises molding lthe distortable member whilesupporting the bushing members in spaced relation, and thereafter soconfining the bearing that the bushing members are forced toward theshaft to place the distortable member under an initial compression.

5. The method of making a torsional bearing which comprises molding anannulus of vulcanizable plastic material upon a shaft element in bondedadhesion therewith, said annulus being molded with an axially extendinggroove at its outer surface, and mounting the assembly within anenclosing structure with the body of plastic material held compressedbetween the outer structure and inner element.

e. A method as defined m claim 3 in whichv the plastic material iscooled fromv the heat of vulcanization with the said spacing membersremoved from the bushing members to permit the bushing members to yieldtoward each other during the shrinkage of the material.

'7. The method of making a torsional bearing which comprises molding abody of vulcanizable plastic material upon an inner shaft element inbonded adhesion with the latter and forming a recess in the body inwhich the material is distortable, and then mounting the assembly withinan enclosing structure with the body of plastic material held compressedbetween the outer structure and inner element.

8. The method. of making a cushioned bearing which comprises molding anannular body of rubber Within a plurality of separate and spaced apartenclosing members, and thereafter mounting said body and members withinan enclosing structure with members moved-'inwardly toward each otherand the rubber body thereby held compressed.

9. The method of making a cushioned bearing which comprises moldingan'annular body of rubber within a plurality of separate and spacedapart enclosing members in vulcanized adhesion therewith, and thereaftermounting said body and members within an enclosing lstructure with themembers moved inwardly toward each other and the rubber body therebyheld compressed.

' FRED L. HAUSHALTER.

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